“Whenever our kids had to write about the most interesting person they knew, they wrote about their grandfather,” said Elton’s son, Chris, who lives in Atlanta. “And, depending on the year, their stories would all be different because he had so many different interests.
“He was the best doubles partner in tennis I ever had. We played in a lot of tournaments and had a lot of success.”
After serving in the Army Air Corps in Italy, Elton went to Ohio Northern University on the GI Bill, where he was captain of the school’s tennis team. After graduation, he went to work at the Miamisburg Mound’s “Secret Laboratory” as a chemist for 20 years. According to daughter-in-law Linda, Elton also worked with John Birden, who was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame posthumously in 2013.
Although he kept up with his home hobbies, he had to slow down while he cared for his wife, Normadean, for 15 years, until she passed away in 2003, noted Chris. “He was her primary caregiver, but would sneak out to play tennis, then head right back.”
“When he was 85 in 2008, we took him to Italy and France,” said Linda. “He wanted to find the American Red Cross building where he was during the war. We had to walk around a lot and ask people, but we finally found it. He was also looking for the airfield he remembered, and we thought we’d found it — it had become a villa with various venues.
“There was a wedding happening when we got there; but the manager gave us food from the reception, and everyone treated him like royalty.”
“The manager kept in touch with him for several years,” added Chris, “and discovered that it wasn’t the right place, although it had been an airfield during the war. The one Dad remembered was west of where we had been.”
“We also took him to Naples, although he never served there — but on his days off, he’d go to Naples to attend operas,” said Linda.
“We traipsed over all of Italy and France, even though he’d only served in Italy, and he kept right up with us,” said Chris. “We also took him to Normandy, although he hadn’t been there during the war. But he wanted to see it and take pictures. Anytime people found out he was a veteran, even in Paris, they treated him very well.
“He was playing tennis until he was 91, then started to have falls. Now he’s wheelchair-bound, but still just goes with the flow. I think that’s the key to his long life — he’s so even-keeled and continues to amaze me; he’s a real survivor.”
A lifelong resident of West Carrollton and Miamisburg, he’s now at Kingston Senior Living in Miamisburg, where the celebration was held.
“His long-term memory is great, but not his short-term memory,” said Chris. “When old friends and co-workers came up to talk with him at the celebration, he recognized and remembered quite a few, even though they’d lost touch. Someone brought him some mead from Spain, and he liked it, but thought it would be sweeter — he’d always added sugar to his wine.”
“The first wine he made was dandelion wine,” said Linda. “It was terrible, and when we were clearing out his house, we found a case of that wine.”
About 20 people — family, old friends, members of his church, tennis players — attended the Christmas Eve celebration. “He knew we were having it,” said Chris, “and he enjoyed it, but got tired after an hour — he’s not used to having so many people around.”
After the party, Chris asked his dad “What surprised you the most in 100 years? His answer was ‘Living to be 100.’ Then, he said ‘I sure hope they have the calculation right; I think it’s 100.’”
Contact this writer at virgburroughs@gmail.com
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